I test drove a 1999 A4 1.8t Quattro 5-speed today. Car was is being sold by a private seller and in great shape. Has 106k on the odometer and owner has all maintenance receipts. No warning lights and the car ran smooth and was a blast to drive. I checked the oil cap and dipstick and did not see any noticeable sludge issues. I have never owned an Audi but owned some VW's in the past but none were the 1.8t. What else should I look for? Other questions to ask the owner. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

Suspension is something good to look at, particularly the front control arms and tie rod ends. The rubber boots on them tend to wear out/crack over time. My 2001 A4 1.8TQM I bought a couple months ago with 106k miles has cracked rubber tie rod end boots, so I'll be replacing those and all of the control arms.

What's the asking price? If it's more than low-$4000s, bring their asking price down. I bought my 2001 A4 for $4,100 and it's in pretty good shape overall, and is a California car which tends to make them go for more money (no rust).

 

Yeah, and ask when the car was last aligned. One potential issue is that the tie rod ends can be locked up and can't be aligned or even taken out. The only fix in that case is to replace the whole steering rack.

Use a flashlight to look around the engine for signs of oil or other fluid leaks.

Check the heating and A/C, make sure you get nice hot air and cold air respectively.

Make sure they have the radio lock code.

 

You could still replace the whole tie rod at that point, no need to replace the whole rack

 

for the info. He is asking $5500 seems a little high.

 

When was the timing belt replaced? Hows the front end?

If those two items need to be done you should be able to knock a grand or so off the price. How's the paint?

If you're serious about the car I'd pay the $100 to have a Audi/VW shop inspect it.

 

I paid $3500 for my '00 Avant, 1.8l auto, about a year ago. 153,000 on the clock but everything was basically good. I have done some work so figure on that. I did suspension and drive shaft replacements along with a few other odds and ends. If you add that in I have about $5000 in it so I think his $5500 is high unless he has done all of the wear part work like tie rod ends, timing belt etc.